Last Wednesday, fire broke out in a grade four class at a girls school in Sheenabad, when a malfunctioning kerosene heater was being removed from the class.

Education Minister Hamidreza Hajibabayi in Parliament

Hamidreza Hajibabayi said: "Until eternity, I apologize for any accident that happens within the Education Ministry."

Some media outlets have interpreted the Education Minister's apology as "tongue in cheek" but he has rejected such interpretations.

The minister has been blamed for the accident, and his critics have spoken out against the use of kerosene heaters in classes rather than gas heaters and the large numbers of students packed into small classrooms.

In addition to the recent fire, the death of 26 students in a bus accident during a school trip and similar student accidents have triggered widespread criticism of the Education Minister, and some have even called for his impeachment.